Every Kentucky Artist mandolin is meticulously handcrafted from the finest materials to produce the finest possible instrument for players of every level. The redesigned KM-254 Artist A-model mandolin is no exception. With upgraded woods and specifications throughout, the KM-254 offers the serious player a fine instrument whose rich tone and quick response continues to improve as the instrument ages.

This mandolin is made very well and sounds like it cost much more I had mine set up buy a pro and it played and sounded fantastic for about two months then the upper bridge just broke . I now had to take it back to the luthier that set it up the first time showed him what happened and he said the top section of the bridge was made of low quality rose wood! I told him to put his best ebony bridge on and do another set up now the mandolin has a much better bridge and again sounds fantastic! You would think that that the reputation Kentucky has for their mandolins they would have put a much better bridge on this instrument ! Other then this problem I had no others so far. Love it!!

I have played guitar, ukulele, bass, drums, and other assorted instruments. This is my first mandolin. I did a lot of research and Kentucky has the best reputation for the price of their instruments, so I went with this one. The reputation is well deserved. This thing sounds so loud, percussive and clear with perfect intonation. It has such a bright clear treble sound without a hint of irritation. I have recorded with it this weekend and it just sounds beautiful. I wish it had a pickup, but it is so loud, it wont be needed in most situations.

I play 3 other musical instruments and have played almost every kind of live venue playing various types of music.I bought this mandolin about 8 wks.ago as a step-up mandolin and am satisfied.This mandolin sounds good mic'd through a PA or sitting on the front porch doing acoustic jams.One small drawback;the Musicians Friend standard A mandolin case I bought 3 years ago is too big for this mandolin.I took some old flannel mat'l and built up the base of the case and I'm good to go.This mandolin will last me a lifetime and with the tonewoods on this model will only improve with time. I gave this Kentucky mandolin 4 stars because getting features like these on another brand mandolin ups the $$$ considerably. Finish is nice without blemishes.Neck is solid and straight.Binding around body is tight w/o any separation noted.Tuners fastened solidly and tune well with ease.Tailpiece could be the weak part on this mandolin; mandolins manufactured on the Pacific Rim usually use this cheaper type.The 3 small screws that secures the tailpiece to the body should have been larger.No complaints about neck/body joint.Strings that came with this mando are decent.Bridge is solid,no defects found.After a pro set-up my Kentucky mandolin plays well.I do like the fretboard and radiused neck that provide comfort and better playability than my beginner Epiphone MM20.Sound is full all along the spectrum.Bass response is strong.Quality control was good on my mandolin. Big value IMO on this mandolin.I got 15% off and with the features given here,this is a solid deal.I have been a customer at Musicians Friend many years now and this IS the first place I look when needing anything musical.

This mandolin has a surprising amount of bark to it; the E and A really jump out. Fit and finish are good and typical for the price (some swirl marks in the finish from final buffing). You have to install the bridge yourself but it's easy - just check YouTube for instructional videos. The tuners will need a small drop of machine oil because out of the box they are a bit stiff. Lastly, you might have to bend the decorative lip on the bridge cover to prevent it from pressing against the strings and buzzing occassionally.

This is my second KM-254. The first one had a few unlevel frets which made it unplayable, but MF was quick to replace it. This replacement one was playable out of the box. Overall, it's a good value if you're getting into mandolin. The price is good, the sound is impressive, and you'll find yourself picking it up constantly.Fit and finish is good for the price range. Swirl marks in the finish from final buffing if you look hard enough. Fret dressing is very good. Sound quality is very, very good.